Grand Contest
by Vani Jane
Summary: FranticShipping Ruby finally returns from a short vacation at Johto but when he goes off to meet Sapphire at their hideout, she isn't there to welcome him back. Instead, he finds something else more dismaying than being apart from her.


******Title: **Grand Contest (_might change in the future_)**  
Series:** Pokemon Special  
**Ship:** FranticShipping – Ruby & Sapphire  
**Notes:** My first Pokemon fanfiction. I've been addicted to the Pokemon Special manga ever since last year and finally, while waiting every so patiently for the next volume to come out in English, I've made –gasp– a fanfiction for it. Hope you enjoy!  
**Disclaimer: **If I owned Pokemon, the manga would've become the anime and the anime would've become scrapped ideas.

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**Chapter One**

Ruby sighed, sitting on the back of the van while his mother drove in the front. It was a big van—almost like a trailer since Ruby wouldn't have bothered to travel with his mother for a visit to Johto if they didn't get the van suited for winners.

His Pokemon lazed around beside him—well, all except Mimi and Zuzu for Mimi was too large and Zuzu too heavy. Coco and Nana were laying on the space near him, napping while Ruru was playing around with Popo.

He sighed once more and that was all that Ruru could take. Ruru, having the ability to sense her trainer's emotions, was trying to _ignore _Ruby's very depressed state. She had been trying to ignore him for nearly two weeks but she cared too much for Ruby to just sulk in her Pokeball.

Ruru knew Ruby had been feeling down since he found out that Sapphire couldn't come with them for a visit to Johto, although, the male coordinator didn't show it. Ruru, if not for her gentle nature, would've kicked Ruby for being an idiot but again, she loved her trainer too much.

They had been gone from Hoenn for nearly a month and each passing day they spent in Johto, Ruby's natural carefree flare and motivation was depleting until he was at the point of sighing every minute.

Ruby, aware that Ruru had been staring at him for some time now, reached for the female Kirlia and rubbed her head gently with a small smile on his lips. "I'm fine, Ruru. We're almost home, anyway."

Ruru, sensed the little joy and excitement in Ruby and was glad. She grinned at her trainer with a nod. Now, all she just hoped for was for her trainer to be more of a man and just blurt out—

"We're stuck!" Ruby's mother cried, "Ruby, would you be a dear and help us, please!"

Ruby sighed, every time his mother did the driving, they always got stuck. "No way, it's going to get my Pokemon dirty!"

"But, Ruby~"

--

Hours later, they finally arrived at Littleroot Town. Ruby excitedly dashed out of the van, followed by his champion Pokemon.

Finally, he was going to see Sapphire again! They hadn't been separated this long since their bet was off. Wherever he went, Sapphire went and wherever Sapphire went, he went. Well, aside from the bathroom but that was perfectly understandable.

They were two peas in a pod, the healthy pea being Ruby and the rotten pea being Sapphire. Ruby grinned as he went through the forest to get to their secret hideout—well, technically, it was _her _hideout but she'd brought him there and since then, it had been _theirs_. No one else knew about it's location, it was their special place.

He knew Sapphire was helping Professor Birch, her father, with research so it was highly possible that she was in her cave again. Ruby frowned, he just hoped she didn't make a mess of things again and got dirt on the plushies and his trophies.

"Sapphire?" He called, hiding the excitement he felt inside with a bored droll when he arrived. "Are you in here?"

There came no reply and he figured that she might be out doing some field work. Knowing that she'd return to the cave sooner or later, he let out all of his Pokemon before walking over to the Pokeball table.

When he was about to sit down on the matching Pokeball chair, he gasped dramatically and stared at the medals scattered on top of the table.

"What…" He murmured and inspected them curiously, they were Contest medals but Sapphire would _never _join a Contest but it was their hideout, so there could be no other owner.

He took out his glasses and very carefully inspected one of the medals. Seconds later, the medal fell with a light tap to the table.

His whole body had frozen, as if he was a victim of Mimi's Blizzard. It was a first rank medal but…

It wasn't Sapphire's…

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**Note:** Please, review! This is my first Pokemon fanfiction and I'd like to hear some feedback on it. **Professional criticism** is _appreciated_ but **flames** _aren't_.

Thanks for reading!  
_Vani Jane_


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